Rail-joint.



R. J. SMITH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.25, 1912.

1,090,949. Patented Mar. 24, 1914 4 /J I I 2 7 /J IIIIIII H9, 5 IIIIII IIIIIIII I I I I l I I l I I I L q v I I I l l l I I I I I I i I I I I II 4 I COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0 WASHINGTON. n c.

ears

FFTE

RAIL-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD J. SMITH, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Gwanda, Rhodesia,South Africa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway rail joints and has for its principalobject to provide a simple and efiicient means for connecting rail ends,which is accomplished in such manner that a smooth continuous railsurface is at all times presented to passing car wheels, irrespective ofany expansion or contraction of the rails.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rail connection of suchconstruction that danger of broken joints, due principally to theshearing action of the fish plates upon the securing bolts, iseliminated.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a rail connectorwhich may be applied to the ends of ordinary rails without the necessityof cutting or jointing the rail ends or having the rail ends of anyparticular construction. ll ith the above mentioned objects in view,together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, myinvention comprises a pair of fish plates which are adapted to besecured in the usual manner to the opposing rail ends, each fish platebeing provided at one end with longitudinally disposed slots throughwhich extend the extremities of the securing bolts of the opposing fishplate, and the said fish plates being also provided, upon the upperedges thereof and at a point intermediate their ends, with upwardlyextending ball forming portions. These ball forming portions are sopositioned upon the fish plates that when the latter are properlyassembled upon the rail ends the said portions cooperate to form abridge for spanning the gap between the rail ends. These members thusassembled provide a joint which presents a smooth surface to the carwheels, and the slotted manner in which the fish plates are connected tothe rail ends, allows for expansion or contraction of the rails withoutdetracting from the efiiciency of the joint.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a railway joint embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the same. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 with the insideSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 25, 1912.

Patented Mar. 24, inlet. Serial No. 727,708.

fish plate removed, and Fig. l is a'transverse section taken upon theline m.n of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 and 2 indicate theends of ordinary traction rails to which my invention is applied.

The fish plates comprising my invention are indicated at 3 and 4, andare each rigidly secured at one end to opposite rail ends by means ofbolts 5. The fish plate 3 being adjacent the inside of the track, isbolted securely to the web of the rail end 2 while the opposite end ofsaid fish plate, which is provided with longitudinally disposed slots 6,extends to the opposite rail end 1, and is adjustably connected theretoby the bolts 5. The fish plate 4 is in a like manner attached to theopposite side of the rail webs, being rigidly bolted to the web of therail end 1 with its opposite end, provided with similar slots 7,extending to the opposite rail web to be adjustably secured thereto. Itshould be noted that the bolts, by means of which the fish plates 3 anda are rigidly secured to the respective rail ends, extend through theslots 6 and 7 of the opposite fish plates. It will be seen that aconnection of this character allows for ample expansion and contractionof the rails.

Formed upon the upper edge of the fish plate 3, and located at a pointintermediate the ends thereof, is a ball forming member 8. This member,as is clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, is of the samethickness as the fish plate of which it is a part, and is provided atits ends with vertical faces 9 and 9. A flange 10 is formed upon thelower edge of the fish plate 3, directly below the ball. forming portion8, and extends outwardly a distance equal to the width of the railflange.

The fish plate l is of a construction similar to the fish plate 3 withthe exception of the ball forming portion 11, which portion, as shown inFig. 4, is extended inwardly a distance equal to the thickness of therail web, to abut the inner face of the opposite ball forming portion 8.It will from this construction, be seen that the line of con tactbetween the two ball forming portions is directly in the line of travelof the tread of a car wheel, and that pressure of said wheel will beequally distributed to the two ball forming portions.

In assembling my improved rail joint, the fish plates are first placedin position, one on each side of the rail with their slotted endsengaging the webs of the opposite rail ends. The bolt openings in therail webs are positioned relatively to those of the fish plates so thatupon registration of the bolt openings, the faces 9 of the ball formingportions will abut the rail ends 1 and 2. The rails are spaced adistance apart slightly greater than the length of the ball portions ofthe fish plates in order to allow for any expansion or contraction ofthe rails, which, obviously will be compensated for by the slottedconnection of the fish plates to the rail webs.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings itwill be obvious that a railway track equipped with fish plates of thisdesign will, at the rail joints, present to the car wheel a smooth,continuous surface over which cars may pass with the least possibleshock or jar and with little or no noise. The construction of my fishplates and the positioning of the ball portions thereon presents asurface to the principal point of contact of a car wheel, whereby theweight therefrom is equally distributed to the fish plates and therails, and in such manner that the shearing action of the fish platesupon the bolts, which is common to railway rail joints of the presenttype, is entirely eliminated. By placing a railway tie directly beneaththe joint and securing the fish plates thereto by way of thesupplemental flange 10, the durability and strength of the joint isgreatly increased. The slotted connection between the fish plates andthe rails allows for any expansion or contraction of the rails withoutin any way affecting the stability or silence of the joint.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. In a rail joint, the adjacent rail ends, and a pairof fish plates, said fish plates being rigidly connected at 'one endwith the respective rail ends and in sliding engagement with theopposite rail'ends, said fish plates being provided at a pointintermediate their ends with upwardly extending. ball forming portions,said ball forming portions forming portions, one of said portions be- '1111g of a thickness equal to that of its respective fish plate, the'ballformingsportion upon the opposite fish plate being extended to abut theinner faceof the first mentioned ,7 1

ball forming portion, substantially as described. f i

3. In a rail joint, the adjacent rail ends, in combination with an innerand an outer fish plate, said fish plates being rigidly con- I nected atone end with the respective rail ends and in sliding engagement with;the op posite rail ends, s'aid fish, plates beingpro vided at a pointintermediate their ends with upwardly extending ball forming portions, Vthe ball forming portions on the inner plate I being of athicknessequal' to that of the plate, and the ball forming portion uponV 85.

the outer fish plate being extended inwardly to abut the inner face ofthe ball forming portion upon the inner fish plate, sub stantially asdescribed. I

In testimony whereof I have signed' my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD JOHN SMITH.

Vitnessesi I v V M. P. MILNER, v

M. FREEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. 0."

